The American Dream 1. What is the American Dream? How does Gatsby represent this dream? Has the American Dream changed since Gatsby's time?
The American Dream is viewed as a great achievement that many people travel to the US to try and achieve. Being wealthy, having many friends, a caring family, and people that enjoy being around you, could all be part of this universal fantasy that we call The American Dream. Gatsby represents this dream, by throwing these big extravagant parties in his giant house, where people that weren't even invited go to the parties and he doesn't care. He is living the life, but he lacks one element that he is striving to achieve. Love. He falls in love with a beautiful woman named Daisy; but she does not know of his feelings towards her. His American Dream is still living the big life, but also down in his hidden emotions, he wants a family. Gatsby shows this love by counting the days that he has been away from Daisy, showing that he truely cares for her.
Today the American Dream hasn’t changed in definition but what people are striving for has. Being married, having kids, and having a well paying job, are all aspects of the American Dream. Some corrupt this view with money. Money is just a shield that is hiding what is truly important in life. Even if one has billions of dollars and no family, they may seem happy; but deep down they lack the feeling for family. This picture shows that even old people are fully capable of keeping up with modern technologies. The Jazz Age 2. Discuss elements of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby.
There are many elements of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby, some are the huge parties that Gatsby throws most every night, the music that is played at the parties, the corruption of the post-WW I age, and the growth of individualism. The huge parties that Gatsby hosts shows the fun side of the "Roaring Twenties". Who ever wants to go to one of his parties goes, even if they aren't invited, and Gatsby doesn't care. The music that is played at Gatsby's parties shows all the fun that everybody had during the 20's. During the 1920's, people started to think for themselves, instead of conforming to what everybody was "appropriate" for the time. Women started to dress differently and act differently, even if it was inappropriate for the time. Daisy was an example of this. She liked to do whatever she wanted to do. She had many relationships with soliders after the war, one of which was with Gatsby. Gatsby fell in love with Daisy and her "I do what I want" personality. But Daisy didn't love Gatsby the way he loved her. This picture shows one of Gatsby's huge parties. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4WJ6tpZeA&hl=en&gl=US&client=mv-google This picture represents the "Jazz Age". Nick Carraway 4. What is Nick Carraway's role in the novel? Consider Nick's father's advice in chapter one: "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Does telling the story from Nick's point of view make it more believable?
Nick's role is to tell the story of Gatsby, and why he was so great. As he states to the reader in Chapter 1, he is tolerant, open-minded, quiet, and a good listener, and, as a result, others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets, like Gatsby. On the one hand, Nick is attracted to the fast-paced, fun-driven lifestyle of New York. On the other hand, he finds that lifestyle grotesque and damaging. This inner conflict is symbolized throughout the book by Nick’s romantic affair with Jordan Baker. The quote by Nicks father, "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had", shows that he was raised with the value "don't judge anybody until you have walked a mile in their shoes." Nick came from an upper-middle class family, which shows that he knows the richer part of life; but values peoples hard work determination in the lower class.
1. What is the American Dream? How does Gatsby represent this dream? Has the American Dream changed since Gatsby's time?
The American Dream is viewed as a great achievement that many people travel to the US to try and achieve. Being wealthy, having many friends, a caring family, and people that enjoy being around you, could all be part of this universal fantasy that we call The American Dream. Gatsby represents this dream, by throwing these big extravagant parties in his giant house, where people that weren't even invited go to the parties and he doesn't care. He is living the life, but he lacks one element that he is striving to achieve. Love. He falls in love with a beautiful woman named Daisy; but she does not know of his feelings towards her. His American Dream is still living the big life, but also down in his hidden emotions, he wants a family. Gatsby shows this love by counting the days that he has been away from Daisy, showing that he truely cares for her.
Today the American Dream hasn’t changed in definition but what people are striving for has. Being married, having kids, and having a well paying job, are all aspects of the American Dream. Some corrupt this view with money. Money is just a shield that is hiding what is truly important in life. Even if one has billions of dollars and no family, they may seem happy; but deep down they lack the feeling for family.
The Jazz Age
2. Discuss elements of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby.
There are many elements of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby, some are the huge parties that Gatsby throws most every night, the music that is played at the parties, the corruption of the post-WW I age, and the growth of individualism. The huge parties that Gatsby hosts shows the fun side of the "Roaring Twenties". Who ever wants to go to one of his parties goes, even if they aren't invited, and Gatsby doesn't care. The music that is played at Gatsby's parties shows all the fun that everybody had during the 20's. During the 1920's, people started to think for themselves, instead of conforming to what everybody was "appropriate" for the time. Women started to dress differently and act differently, even if it was inappropriate for the time. Daisy was an example of this. She liked to do whatever she wanted to do. She had many relationships with soliders after the war, one of which was with Gatsby. Gatsby fell in love with Daisy and her "I do what I want" personality. But Daisy didn't love Gatsby the way he loved her.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4WJ6tpZeA&hl=en&gl=US&client=mv-google
Nick Carraway
4. What is Nick Carraway's role in the novel? Consider Nick's father's advice in chapter one: "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Does telling the story from Nick's point of view make it more believable?
Nick's role is to tell the story of Gatsby, and why he was so great. As he states to the reader in Chapter 1, he is tolerant, open-minded, quiet, and a good listener, and, as a result, others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets, like Gatsby. On the one hand, Nick is attracted to the fast-paced, fun-driven lifestyle of New York. On the other hand, he finds that lifestyle grotesque and damaging. This inner conflict is symbolized throughout the book by Nick’s romantic affair with Jordan Baker. The quote by Nicks father, "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had", shows that he was raised with the value "don't judge anybody until you have walked a mile in their shoes." Nick came from an upper-middle class family, which shows that he knows the richer part of life; but values peoples hard work determination in the lower class.
Nick Carraway and his father.
WORKS CITED
· Google images
Http://www.personal.kent.edu/~areischu/American%20Gothic%20Parody.gif. Photograph. Google Images, Littleton.
Http://www.nchumanities.org/images/home_jazz_man.jpg. Photograph. Google Images, Littleton.
Https://www.glastonburyus.org/staff/VemuriC/PublishingImages/The-Great-Gatsby-001.jpg. Photograph. Google Images, Littleton.
Http://www.cup.columbia.edu/media/5001/fitz-hem-blog.gif/%20align=. Photograph. Google Images, Littleton.
· Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Macmillan, 1992.
· www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4WJ6tpZeA&hl=en&gl=US&client=mv-google